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Not having scruples, at least, gets fat. Alberto Barbera , director of the Venice Film Festival , recorded this dietary prodigy when, without hiding an uncontrollable smile, he began to widen suddenly and very poorly in front of the crowd. "At least ten of the guest stars have won at least one Oscar in their career," he said a couple of weeks ago at the show's presentation. And gained weight.

Pure diuretic free satisfaction of the excess of the squeamish. Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Robert de Niro, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Gary Oldman, Juliette Binoche ... That among the performers. At his side, Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh, Noah Baumbach, Olivier Assayas, Pablo Larraín or Pedro Almodóvar, who receives the Golden Lion of Honor. Does anyone give more? Only Scorsese is missing. Rarely, the union of filmmakers who do not need a union was so well represented .

For some time now, no one disputes that the season of awards and red carpets starts at the Lido. From Rome , the previous year, to La La Land , through The shape of the water , A Star is Born , Gravity or Birdman , everything that is rewarding is here. This is what the great studios have wanted and, hurrying, until the Cannes Film Festival. The day the latter closed the door to Netflix and its business model that does not take into account movie theaters , Venice gained weight. And how.

From television to cinema

In this edition, the TV presents up to three titles to the competition and all of them older. The intimate drama Marriage story , by Noah Baumbach and with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in the cast, opens the fire. At his side, The Laundromat , around the Panama Papers and signed by Soderbergh escorted by Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas and Gary Oldman. And not far, there is the ambitious drama "Shakespearian" The King , where the Australian David Michod brings together the most pomegranate of the new generation. Namely: Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson and Lily-Rose Depp. If we take into account that Martin Scorsese takes his huge The Irishman to New York also from the hand of the payment chain, it can already be said that within a short time Netflix will not be a topic of conversation . And getting fat.

If Fox and Warner's commitment to the Mostra to which they present their season's star tapes is added to all of the above, there is no option left. The first brings Ad astra , the deep and emotionally realistic space odyssey in which James Gray gives Brad Pitt a choice to look beyond the stars themselves. And the second, summons all the demons of recent cinema in the most anticipated and most morbid blockbuster of the decade . That is Joker starring a Joaquin Phoenix who, once again, promises to redefine the word excess next to Robert De Niro. And getting fat.

A poster of the film festival.

Of course, the absence of miracles is valid for everything. It is omnivorous. And the same thing that surrenders to a production company without the outdated habit of premiering in cinemas, means that only two directors appear in the official section. That, on the other hand, is twice the previous year (only Jennifer Kent was then). There was explanation, of course. "There is no more and we do not accept fees," said the director of all this. " The directors are a minority, but there is increasing sensitivity to the female universe in the movies, " Barbera continued in a display of ... lack of scruples, perhaps?

Two directors accused of rape

Someone reminded him that perhaps the presence of Roman Polanski , convicted of rape in 1977, did not help. And another more pungent maybe brought up the almost capped appearance (not listed in the official section) of Nate Parker, which features American skin . Remember, the African-American director who debuted with The birth of a nation was involved in a rape case that he was acquitted on the grounds that the victim was silent instead of refusing. Shortly after, the woman committed suicide . Thus, The perfect candidate , by Saudi Haifaa Al-Mansour, and Babyteeth , by Australian debutant Shannon Murphy, are the only two productions with women in charge . One more detail, the first of the aforementioned films shares a day with Ad astra and Marriage story mentioned above. Otherwise, if you wanted to get anyone to talk about it, you have to congratulate the organization. Or stone her, according to. And another one: both Polanski's and Parker's films are about false accusations. Has anyone not taken the hint?

Anyway, the truth is that the facts, free of scruples, give the reason to the 'fattening' Barbera. The opening with The truth , the first international work of Kore-eda in which Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke; or Olivier Assayas' latest work, The Wasp Network , with Penelope Cruz inside; or, nevertheless, the review of the Dreyfus case that Polanski promises in A officer and a spy ; or the rereading of the magnetic character of Jean Seberg at the hands of Kristen Stewart under the direction of Benedict Andrews; or the return of the always disturbing Pablo Larraín with Ema , another female portrait behind Jackie ; or the always disconcerting, surreal and masterly Roy Anderson presenting About Endlessness ; or the American adventure of the Colombian Ciro Guerra ( The Hug of the Snake ) under whose orders Johnny Depp is placed in Waiting for the Barbarians , according to the novel by JM Coetzee; or the new Sorrentino Pope; or ... almost everything, we said, seems like an ode to the invigorating power of the absence of, again, miracles. All block. Everything widens.

Of course, and one more year, the Spanish presence shines as nonexistent . Or almost. It is true that both Mother , Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and Zumiriki, Oskar Alegria, are two proposals as exciting and disparate among them as rigorously risky. And bright. But only two and something far from an official section (they are located in Orizzonti) where nothing has been seen in Spain for almost a decade, when Alex de la Iglesia surprised with sad Ballad of trumpet . And so far, what they give, for the moment, the scruples. Or their absence.

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  • movie theater
  • festival
  • Netflix
  • Scarlett Johansson
  • Penelope Cruz
  • Cannes festival
  • Spain
  • Kristen Stewart
  • Pedro Almodovar
  • Meryl streep
  • Lion
  • TV

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